What is the most you've paid for a phone ?

[Dan/Panther]

What is the highest price you've paid for a phonee, that you are willing to admit to.
I paid $900.00, plus shipping for a near mint Peking Red 302. I've been paying it off at $200.00 a month, and will be getting delivery this month.
D/P

[Phonesrfun]

Do I really have to admit it?? 

OK, call me hooked on phones.  I need a 12-step phone program.  Oh, that's right, there is no such thing as recovery from this addiction.

I paid about $900 each for my A1 and for an 11-digit Strowger wall phone.

[McHeath]

I've got around $175 in my aqua 1500, it's my most pricy thus far.  $900 for that red 302 certainly does not seem out of bounds to me, it looks like a good phone to have. 

[mienaichizu]

the Red NEC Payphone and Maroon NEC Type 4, both at $125 each

[bingster]

I'm the lightweight, I guess.  My most expensive phone is the D1/E1 that I use every day, but it was put together in stages.  The manual mounting and handset were $75, the 4H dial was $60, and a perfect 685 subset was another $60.  So the complete setup was $195.

That doesn't include cords which were probably around $50 for the set.

[Dennis Markham]

Dan, that Pekin Red 302 is awesome.  $900 actually seems like a good price.  Haven't we seen them go higher than that on eBay?  That's why I don't have one.  The most I have paid for a single phone is $250.01.  That was for an Ivory Western Electric Model 500 billed as being in mint condition.  It's pretty close.  The only other time I paid $250 for a model 500 was from the same collector/seller as the first.  It is a two-tone Ivory/Black from February of 1954.  The cords are not original to the phone.  It's seen here.

[Dan/Panther]

The bonus about the Red 302, it's dated 10-49 my birth month and year.
D/P

[Greg G.]

So far, $85 for the 202 w/subset.  That doesn't include the dial and more "modern" subset I bought later.

[Jester]

I hope you fellas don't laugh or call the psych ward.  The most expensive buy for me has been this all original A1-- $1525.00 delivered.  The next most expensive really belongs in "The Most I paid for a Wreck" category.  You know it well--about $900.00 when finished.

[Phonesrfun]

Your A1 is in nicer shape than mine, and I had to add a #2 dial to mine, and not the politically correct #2 at that.

[Jester]

Thank you, Bill.  I thought it was a decent price, considering what I saw them go to on ebay earlier this year.  Wouldn't you know though, the next five that showed up there were way cheaper.

[Dennis Markham]

Nice phones Stephen.  You sure know how to make a guy envious!  Great phones!

[gpo706]

£270 for a 1C2, all the way from Florida I think, took fecking weeks to arrive and I had to pay £38 customs at the post depot before I could take it away, but it's the real deal, before that probably my GPO 232 and bellset from an antique phone shop local for about £70, like 20 years ago...

All other gear has been cheap from freinds or ebay, last "bargain" was a nice 312 from a mate at work for £50 after she was sick of it hoarding her bedroom space, she got from her mate who was moving flat and gonna bin it!

It was converted and everything, nuts eh?

[HobieSport]

Gee, the most I ever paid was $80. That was for a completely perfectly expertly refurbished black '57 WE 500, with all matching dates of my birthday.

The second most expensive was $55. for a refurbished metal 302.

All my other phones (about 50 in all I guess) were anywhere from $5-35, none refurbished. I don't have any rare phones, just a nice wide assortment, mostly black, mid century.

[McHeath]

I only have a couple of phones of any value, the aformentioned 1500 and an Ericophone in mint green.  Otherwise my collection is pretty pedestrian, about 25 phones of little rarity but I'm fond of them.

As for laughing at someone for paying 1500 for a phone, no way.  I understand that perfectly as we all will pay for our passions.  I blew a grand a few months back for a new laptop computer, probably did not need it but here it is.  Love the high dollar rare phones, red 302s, Med Blue mid 50's model 500s, first year 302s, great stuff all.